The effect of the modified "LORS" structured group process on ego-strength and prejudice of college students

Abstract:

This study was conducted to determine the effects of participation in a series of five structured group experiences in a modification of the LORS Experiential Technique (Hollis, 1975) on the levels of ego-strength and prejudice of college students. The study was conducted during the Winter Quarter of 1978 at Ball State University in 'Muncie, Indiana. A pool of 96 volunteer subjects were administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The complete battery of three testings was completed by 55 of the original 96 subjects. Subjects were male and female undergraduate students residing in university residence halls, including both coeducational and female residence halls. Most of the subjects were freshmen women.A modification of the quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design (Campbell & Stanley, 1963) was employed. The control group was administered the independent variable following the presentation of the treatment to the experimental group. Specifically, three comparisons were made: 1) between experimental and control groups after the treatment condition was presented to the experimental group, 2) between experimental and control groups after both groups experienced treatment, and 3) between the experimental-group data collected immediately following presentation of the treatment and data collected two weeks later.Two hypotheses, each subdivided into three parts, were tested using a t-test for the differences between proportions (Walpole, 1968). The alpha level was set at .05 for statistical significance. The major operational hypotheses predicted that ego-strength would increase and prejudice would decrease following subject exposure to the experimental treatment. Statistical analysis did not support these hypotheses.In addition to the data gathered from the Ego-strength and Prejudice Scales, subjects completed questionnaires at the beginning of each meeting designed to assess certain effects of the previous meeting. An additional questionnaire was administered three months after the experiment to assess subjects' perceptions of the LORS experience after a lapse of time. Generally, subjects reported that the LORS technique helped increase their (1) awareness of their own and others' values, (2) awareness of "group interactions," and (3) self confidence.The experimental treatment consisted of a series of five situations constructed by the researcher with the editorial assistance of the author of LORS. Each situation was designed to focus on an issue of relevance to college students college student held in the residence halls of the subjects over a two-week Issues were based on theory and research on personality development.Group sessions lasted one hour and a half and were period. Advanced graduate students in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services at Ball State University served as group facilitators.